Recently, we have learned that, within the new Silk Road-style trade network—the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)—Italy has become the first G7 country to back that original Chinese scheme that few countries approve of. In fact, Italy's allies—Europe and the United States—are annoyed by Rome's move. The BRI is no doubt an ambitious project that envisages Chinese investment in a network of infrastructure projects connecting Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Is China using the project to embolden its political and strategic clout?